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Morally Ambiguous JD
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A Man’s A Man for A’ That.

Just though this poem’s message is relevant to help.com
and hopefully to those that can read Scot’s brings a smile
to you’re faces.

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, an a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by -
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Our toils obscure, an a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an a’ that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine -
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that.
Their tinsel show, an a’ that,
The honest man, tho e’er sae poor,
Is king o men for a’ that.

Ye see you birkie ca’d ‘a lord,’
What struts, an stares, an a’ that?
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a cuif for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
His ribband, star, an a’ that,
The man o independent mind,
He looks an laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an a’ that!
But an honest man’s aboon his might -
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Their dignities, an a’ that,
The pith o sense an pride o worth.
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may
[As come it will for a’ that],
That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
It’s comin yet for a’ that,
That man to man, the world, o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that.

——————————————————————— ————————————–
ENGLISH VERSION

Is there for honest poverty
That hangs his head, and all that?
The coward slave, we pass him by -
We dare be poor for all that!
For all that, and all that,
Our toils obscure, and all that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gold for all that.

What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear course grey woolen, and all that?
Give fools their silks, and knaves their wine -
A man is a man for all that.
For all that, and all that,
Their tinsel show, and all that,
The honest man, though ever so poor,
Is king of men for all that.

You see yonder fellow called ‘a lord,’
Who struts, and stares, and all that?
Though hundreds worship at his word,
He is but a dolt for all that.
For all that, and all that,
His ribboned, star, and all that,
The man of independent mind,
He looks and laughs at all that.

A prince can make a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, and all that!
But an honest man is above his might -
Good faith, he must not fault that
For all that, and all that,
Their dignities, and all that,
The pith of sense and pride of worth
Are higher rank than all that.

Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a’ that)
That Sense and Worth over all the earth
Shall have the first place and all that!
For all that, and all that,
It is coming yet for all that,
That man to man the world over
Shall brothers be for all that.

This open post was written 11 months, 4 weeks ago | V/U/S: 346, 29, 8 | Edit Post | Leave a reply | Report Post


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Morally Ambiguous JD invited 72 users to read this post 11 months, 4 weeks ago.

Fire offline Verified User (3 years, 7 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (7 minutes after post)


yeap. i couldnt read a word of it. hardly.

- Fire

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c-eek online Verified User (1 year, 7 months) Long Term User Shouts: 15 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (13 minutes after post)

Translation, please? I got just enough of it to really want to understand the rest.

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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (14 minutes after post)

I can’t understand it :s I tried but it gave me a headache!

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Help me with: B-O-R-E-D.

Morally Ambiguous JD edited this post 11 months, 4 weeks ago. Read the previous text »

A Man’s A Man for A’ That.

Just though this poem’s message is relevant to help.com
and hopefully to those that can read Scot’s brings a smile
to you’re faces.

Is there for honest poverty
That hings his head, an a’ that?
The coward slave, we pass him by -
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Our toils obscure, an a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an a’ that?
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine -
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that.
Their tinsel show, an a’ that,
The honest man, tho e’er sae poor,
Is king o men for a’ that.

Ye see you birkie ca’d ‘a lord,’
What struts, an stares, an a’ that?
Tho hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a cuif for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
His ribband, star, an a’ that,
The man o independent mind,
He looks an laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an a’ that!
But an honest man’s aboon his might -
Guid faith, he mauna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Their dignities, an a’ that,
The pith o sense an pride o worth.
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may
[As come it will for a’ that],
That Sense and Worth o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
It’s comin yet for a’ that,
That man to man, the world, o’er
Shall brithers be for a’ that.

Morally Ambiguous JD invited 2 users to read this post 11 months, 4 weeks ago.

c-eek online Verified User (1 year, 7 months) Long Term User Shouts: 15 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (37 minutes after post)

Thank you. Now I understand. True, so true.

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closed offline Verified User (1 year, 2 months) Long Term User Shouts: 53 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (58 minutes after post)

Whit, nae credit tae the Bard?

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Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (1 hour, 2 minutes after post)

cailean wrote:
Whit, nae credit tae the Bard?

ahd hink tae be honest thit cre’it wid be gaen tae him regerdlis ah who typ’ed it doon. bit yer probibly richt so aw credit goes tae Rabbie Burns,

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closed offline Verified User (1 year, 2 months) Long Term User Shouts: 53 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (1 hour, 10 minutes after post)

The Scots version of the poem makes a stirring song, too!

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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (1 hour, 33 minutes after post)

Thank you for translating it!

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Help me with: B-O-R-E-D.
Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (1 hour, 37 minutes after post)

Vyki wrote:
Thank you for translating it!

no problem, its a great poem. hope you like it. :)

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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (1 hour, 38 minutes after post)

It’s a good one and all that

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Help me with: B-O-R-E-D.
thep offline Verified User (1 year, 11 months) Long Term User Shouts: 15 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (3 hours, 18 minutes after post)

My thoughts about the great bard, Rabbie Burns. In the olden days before squeezey bottles.

I shecks and shecks the ketchup bottle
No a drop at all,l,cum oot.
So I shecks it some more, I shecks it agin.
I think it better if I start to give in.
But my heart is stout I’ll no give in just yet.
If I just keep on at it, I know I will get,
some of this wonderfull source on me dinner.

Me dinners gone cold, I’m still sheckin away.
No a drop will come oot, in the bottle it’s decided tay stay.
I’ve shecked it and I’ve banged it, I’ve thumped it and more.
It all come oot in a terribble splurge, that ketchup is now all over the floor.

There is no disrespect meant towards the great man. Rabbie Burns.

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Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (3 hours, 56 minutes after post)

Ah Shek tha Boat’le
nae a drip comes oot.
so ah shek it sum’ore, an wance again.
ah hink it better just tae gee in.
bit mah heart is stoot, ah’ll nae gee in just yit.
if ah jus keep a’it, i ken a whil git it.
sum’eh this wun’erful Sos oan mah tea.

Mah teas gah’n coal’d, ahm still shekin away.
nae a drip should come oot, in tha boat’le its decided ta stay.
ah’ve shek’d it ahn thumped it, ah’ve ahn thumped it e’en may’re.
och its ah came oot in a terrible splurge aw’over mah kitchen flair.

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thep offline Verified User (1 year, 11 months) Long Term User Shouts: 15 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (4 hours, 3 minutes after post)

It’s looks good translated.

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Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (4 hours, 6 minutes after post)

thep wrote:
It’s looks good translated.

cheers, took me a while.. its not great but its just translated phonetically.
still that aw Scots is to be honest.

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*country girl* offline Verified User (1 year, 5 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (6 hours, 50 minutes after post)

i spent ages struggling through the first version and i actually got most of it; there were only a few parts that messed me up so thanks for translating :)
and yes it is a great poem

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miss_enigma offline Verified User (3 years) Long Term User Shouts: 1 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 4 weeks ago (19 hours, 6 minutes after post)

Love the poem, thanks for the translation as well :)

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Help me with: Power On
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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (2 days, 5 hours after post)

When it’s spoken I can understand perfectly, but written down and I lose it sorry

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Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (2 days, 6 hours after post)

sometimes it can be hard for me, a lot of the words in Scots are debunked and dont get used anymore. so sometimes it can be hard, but as with all things practice and experience.

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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (2 days, 6 hours after post)

Anonymous wrote:
Yeah, I gotta read it out myself to get some of it… I real most things aloud though… hmm. never mind.

If I did that I would get very embarassed at my bad version of a scots accent!

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Help me with: B-O-R-E-D.
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Morally Ambiguous JD offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 126 #
An Undisclosed Location | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (2 days, 6 hours after post)

Vyki wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Yeah, I gotta read it out myself to get some of it… I real most things aloud though… hmm. never mind.
If I did that I would get very embarassed at my bad version of a scots accent!

instead of puting on an accent just say it phonetically as its spelt, thats where the accent comes from.

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Vyki offline Verified User (1 year, 3 months) Long Term User Shouts: 2 #
An Unknown Location | 11 months, 3 weeks ago (2 days, 6 hours after post)

Nope I just got tongue tied lol, got to credit me for trying though lol

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Help me with: B-O-R-E-D.
baz.ni offline Verified User (2 months, 1 week) Shouts: 0 #
An Unknown Location | 2 months, 1 week ago (9 months, 3 weeks after post)

To help you out some more….
This is how it should be sung.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOBcFt…

Slàinte mhòr agad!
(Scots, Good health to y’all)

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